Houston...We Have Liftoff

And then I was fired!

On Thursday, August 14, 2025, I was terminated from my position at the company I founded with six remarkable partners in 2006. On Friday, August 22, 2025, 19 years later, I served my last day as an employee. This final day was not marked by great fanfare or celebration, as one might expect after two decades of building my company; it was spent finishing as I started—leaving nothing on the table and giving all I had to my last class of employees while silently walking out the door with nothing but a smile on my face and a childlike exuberance for what lies ahead.

In Napoleon Hill's timeless classic, "Think and Grow Rich," he states, "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." As life is lived forward, yet understood backward, I've found this to be absolutely true and take every perceived failure with a grain of salt, knowing, "This too shall pass." This upcoming October 13th, I turn the page on the book of my life and reach the end of the chapter of my fifties, marking the beginning of my sixth decade on Earth. It has been an incredible journey so far, to say the least, with breathtaking highs and soul-crushing lows. While many at my age, entering their sixties, look forward to retirement, playing with grandchildren, and enjoying the fruits of their labor after over 40 years of work, some view age as nothing but a number.

I would classify myself in the latter group. My life's journey so far has been anything but ordinary. Like M. Scott Peck's timeless classic, it seems that Father God has guided me along "The Road Less Traveled." In all I've achieved so far, I appear to be the quintessential late bloomer, often 10-15 years behind my peers. While many marry and start families in their twenties, I wasn't married until my mid-thirties and had my only child in my late forties. As many reach their career peaks in their mid-forties, mine didn't occur until my mid-fifties and is still on the rise. Several of my close friends and colleagues found their true love early and were fortunate enough to find their soulmates quickly. I, however, had to go through a couple of failed marriages before marrying Stephanie, my wife, in my fifties—a third and final time, bringing me wedded bliss.

Now, as Father Time continues to bless me with a life I love, He also presents challenges to keep my mind, body, and spirit in top shape for a future in which the best is yet to come. You see, several years ago, during a personal development retreat I attended in Fiji, I learned one of the most important lessons of my life when my instructor shared a distinction about setting goals that I had never considered before. He said, "When setting goals in the future for your life, set goals that transcend your lifetime and always leave room for "or something better." That way, no matter when we are called to our heavenly home, we never live a day without meaning and leave this earth completely used up." I took it to heart and set goals for my family 300 years into the future.

As a result, while some view getting fired at 59 and facing an uncertain future as setbacks, I see it as an unlimited opportunity to continue what I clarified in 2003 when I defined my primary purpose in life. "To be a man of total integrity, love, and excellence in every area of my life and share freely the universal laws of success that God has granted me the wisdom to learn and use in creating extraordinary success for myself and others." This is my 'why' and surpasses anything another human being could do "to me" because I know that all challenges are "for me" to grow and develop from.

Like the lyrics of LL Cool J's iconic song, 'Mama Said Knock You Out', "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years," on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm CST, at Gallery Guichard (436 E. 47th St., Chicago, IL 60653), I will officially launch the third and most impactful chapter of my life. I've spent over two decades dedicated to living out my company's vision, "that all human beings discover their full potential," and have spent more than a year distilling everything I've learned into a simple manual outlining what it takes to become outrageously successful.

The result is the release of my second book, "LARGER THAN LIFE, In Pursuit of Discovering Your Full Potential." I invite you to join me for an unforgettable evening of insights, live readings, book signings, and inspiring conversations, all designed to help you discover and realize your full potential. If you cannot attend, I encourage you to pre-order your copy in paperback, e-book, or audiobook at https://belargerthan.com.

This third and most influential chapter of my life will be dedicated to paying it forward to you—the dreamers, entrepreneurs, and doers of life who want to make a meaningful difference in the world. Whether I'm speaking to your organization, teaching the distinctions of becoming LARGER THAN LIFE, or mentoring you one-on-one, I'm committed to your greatness. As we launch the rocket that will take you and your life to astronomical heights for the benefit of all mankind, I'm notifying NASA...Houston, we have liftoff!